Four environmentally sensitive parcels of lands around B.C. to be protected

Four properties have been added to British Columbia's collection of environmentally sensitive lands. They include a 64-hectare parcel of fish and wildlife habitat along the Fraser River near McBride, and 63 hectares of low-lying wetland in the same area southeast of Prince George. Smaller parcels include 3.2 hectares of forest in Ruckle Provincial Park on Salt Spring Island and just over half a hectare Cranbrook. A tent is shown setup in Ruckle Provincial Park on Salt Spring Island. THE CANADIAN PRESS / HO-Government of British Columbia

VICTORIA — Four properties have been added to British Columbia’s collection of environmentally sensitive lands.

They include a 64-hectare parcel of fish and wildlife habitat along the Fraser River near McBride, and 63 hectares of low-lying wetland in the same area southeast of Prince George.

Smaller parcels include 3.2 hectares of forest in Ruckle Provincial Park on Salt Spring Island and just over half a hectare containing a bird sanctuary, hiking trails, wetland and shoreline habitat near Cranbrook.

The province acquired the land after financial difficulties forced the Land Conservancy of B.C. to transfer it to the Nature Conservancy of Canada last year.

The parcels were offered to the province in exchange for a cash contribution to repay creditors of the Land Conservancy.

The Environment Ministry says in a news release that the latest additions add to four other properties acquired through a 14-month-old, $1-million program to preserve and protect conservation lands around B.C.

Those lands include two properties along the Cowichan River on Vancouver Island, one on the Similkameen River in the South Okanagan and a 35-hectare section known as the Woods Family property near Castlegar.